1 . The Let’s Activity Campaign

The Let’s Activity campaign aimed at preserving rivers is coming. You will board at Castle Wharf, Nottingham, England. Offer to join us now.

Booking

Arrive 15 minutes before the schedule time to ensure we can get started in a timely manner. The sessions are designed for adults and children of all ages to enjoy a new experience. Parents or guardians should book tickets in advance to participate in the campaign.

Cost

This campaign is free for all participants who are also not paid. However, if you fail to cancel and simply don’t show up on the day, you must pay the standard £20 administration fee, chargeable for each ticket booked.

Therefore, if your circumstances do suddenly change and you are no longer able to attend, you must cancel using one of these three mechanisms:

1. The preferred method is via the ticket booking system. You can find the link on your ticket.

2. You can also click here to send an email to us, and know more about details of the date, time, venue and participants in your email message. Don’t email if within less than 48 hours of the campaign. Instead, you’d better use option 1 above or option 3 below.

3. In case of an unforeseen emergency within 48 hours of the campaign, telephone the staff member, which we hope won’t happen.

Donate to Let’s Activity

As part of our work, the Let’s Activity campaign is a waterway charity to help everyone get out, get active and make their lives better by learning to boat. You can now support the work our teams do with families, and make a donation on our website for the environmental protection.

1. What do we know about the campaign?

A．It requires reservation.	B．It is chargeable to adults.
C．It is a 15-minute parent-child experience.	D．It requires individual administrative capability.

2. Which is the best way to cancel the campaign?

A．Sending cell phone messages.	B．Telephoning the staff member.
C．Emailing within 48 hours of the campaign.	D．Using the booking system linked on the ticket.

3. What is the main purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To call for a visit to rivers.	B．To call for volunteering work.
C．To encourage a donation on the spot.	D．To encourage children to learn to boat.

2 . Are you longing for a travel experience full of iconic attractions, which is not only immersive but also intimate? Offering attentive guides, unique experiences, and the perfect combination of exploration and friendship, small group travel is redefining the holiday experience.     1    .

●Explore uncharted but safe territories. Take a journey to breathtaking destinations that might otherwise be frightening to explore independently.     2    , ensuring you don't miss out on the essence (精髓) of each destination. It can also offer exciting exclusive experiences. With smaller coaches and personalized schedule, you'll deep into local cultures and taste authentic flavors at every turn.

●Be guided by the local guides.     3    . Small group tours are led by knowledgeable guides who not only speak the language but also offer insights into the culture, history, and hidden treasures of each region. These guides ensure your journey is enriched with authenticity and discovery.

●     4    . Whether you're travelling alone or with friends, small group travel fosters a sense of community. With groups typically including fewer than 30 people, you'll have the opportunity to form meaningful connections and create lasting memories with fellow adventurers. From shared experiences to newfound friendships, it cultivates a sense of friendship that enhances the overall holiday experience.

●Start your adventure with peace of mind. Small group tour operators take care of everything. With convenience at the forefront, you can explore outside your comfort zone, knowing that every detail has been thoughtfully arranged.     5    , offering assistance in case of emergencies and give you peace of mind through licensed and bonded services.

A．Bond with like-minded travelers

B．It is a unique experience to visit a packed place

C．Take a look below to find what you can do on the trip

D．Travel alone to find more opportunity to enjoy yourself

E．A small group tour offers access to off-the-beaten-path places

F．You can experience the true essence of a destination with their guidance

G．Besides, reputable small group travel companies ensure your protection and security

3 . Question

I am Saeed from Iran. I am so glad to send you an email. I have a question about differences between a “cathedral” and a “church?” Are they the same?

Answer

This is a great question, Saeed!

A “church”is a building used by Christians for their religious (宗教的) services. Because there are many different Christians, there are many different kinds of churches.

A “cathedral” is one kind of Christian church. However, a “cathedral” is the main church for an area under the direction of a bishop, a high-level church leader, in the Roman Catholic faith. Other Christian groups might also call large churches cathedrals. There are many famous cathedrals around the world like Notre Dame in Paris, St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, and the Cathedral of Brasilia in Brazil’s capital.

A “temple” is another form of religious building. “Temple” is the English language word for religious centres in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Temples are places of prayer or worship. Sometimes, people who observe Reform Judaism call their religious centres “temples”.

A “mosque” is a place for Muslims to pray. Women and men usually have separate places to pray within the same building. Muslim holidays and marriages are observed in mosques. “Synagogues” are Jewish places of worship. They are for prayer and religious services, ceremonies and study.

These are not the only places of worship as there are many different religions in the world. If you know of a religious centre or place of prayer or worship, we have not named, please write to us in the comments below!

Please let us know if these explanations and examples helped you, Saeed!

What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish @ ooanews.com.

1. How many names of religious places were mentioned in the response?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

2. What is the centre of Muslim praying called?

A．Cathedral.

B．Temple.

C．Mosque.

D．Synagogues.

3. What is the possible identity of Saced?

A．A religious believer.	B．A high-level church leader.
C．A volunteer who serves the church.	D．An Iranian learning American English.

4 . The teenage years are a transformative period marked by great physical, psychological, and emotional changes.     1     They refer to the feelings that arise during interactions with others, such as gratitude, shame, sympathy, guilt, and pride.

Understanding and managing social emotions can help develop teenagers’ identities. Teenagers experience a wide range of emotions from social interactions, which significantly influences their self-understanding and social awareness. In the process, they learn to understand, and appropriately respond to both their own emotions and those of others.     2    

In academic settings, social emotional competencies like self-regulation, motivation, and social awareness directly impact a teenager’s ability to learn, participate, and engage in school activities.     3     Teenagers with strong social emotional skills are better equipped to handle stress, resist peer pressure, and avoid risky behaviors, reducing the likelihood of developing mental health issues.

Learning social emotions involves a combination of personal experience, guidance, and formal education.     4     This environment influences teenagers’ earliest understanding of how to communicate and manage their emotions. They feel safe and supportive to express their emotions freely and learn to manage them without fear of judgment. Schools also play a significant role through social emotional learning programs that teach these skills in a structured environment. Community involvement, extracurricular activities, and peer (同伴) interactions offer additional opportunities for teenagers to practice and refine their social emotional skills.

    5     It contributes to a teenager’s ability to manage their own emotions, understand others’ emotions, and face social complexities. This learning is a cornerstone for shaping their identity, influencing their interpersonal relationships, academic success, mental health, and future life outcomes.

A．What exactly are social emotions?

B．The journey into mature emotion is quite easy.

C．Social emotion learning for teenagers is essential.

D．Central to this phase is the concept of social emotions.

E．This helps shape their own personal principles and beliefs.

F．Families play a crucial role in modeling and developing these skills.

G．Moreover, social emotional skills are closely linked to mental health.

5 . When Mark Twain visited Florence (佛罗伦萨) in 1867, he dutifully visited the city’s museums, churches, and tombs. But as he stood by the Arno, he began to sense the Italians’ insistence that it was a river, not a stream. “They all call it a river, and they honestly think it is a river, do these dark and bloody Florentines,” he complained, “I might enter Florence under happier circumstances a month hence and find it all beautiful, all attractive. But I do not care to think of it now, at all.”

It’s normal to feel uncomfortable outside your home culture. Feelings of discomfort, dislocation, and overload among travelers are referred to by many as “culture shock.” But Susan Goldstein, a professor at the University of Redlands says, “ Though the term has existed for many years, ‘Culture shock’ implies a dramatic, unexpected, negative event. Though many travelers will experience such challenges, a real sense of ‘shock’ is untypical. So untypical that many researchers no longer use the term.”

It was the vivid description of culture shock by Canadian researcher Oberg, written in 1960 in response to his own multicultural experiences, that won over audiences. The researcher spoke of the adjustment process as “an occupational disease of people who have suddenly been transplanted abroad” — a “disease” that progressed from a honeymoon phase, through rejecting the new environment, to finally adjusting fully to it. By the 1970s many researchers adopted the idea that, like physical illnesses, culture shock progressed through a remarkably consistent and universal set of stages.

Modern research, however, suggests that the experiences of adaptation are individual, not universal. “People will have their ups and downs, but for the most part, they will become increasingly comfortable and competent over time,” Goldstein says. And while many connect the causes of culture shock to the host culture itself, an individual’s internal expectations and differences are just as important.

As for Mark Twain, the moody author was able to ride out his feelings of upset and dislocation while traveling. He eventually finished out his European tour - and in his bestselling travel memoir The Innocents Abroad, famously remarked that travel is “fatal to prejudice and narrow-mindedness.” With the right attitude - and the willingness to seek help if you need it - it’s more than likely that you, too, can adapt and grow in new settings, building new memories-and toughness - with each new stamp in your passport.

1. How did Mark Twain feel about Italians’ insistence?

A．Annoyed.

B．Calm.

C．Uninterested.

D．Curious.

2. What can be inferred about culture shock?

A．It would lead to physical diseases.

B．It was regarded as an avoidable thing.

C．It was named for people’s adjustment.

D．It had gained wide acceptance by the 1970s.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．Suggestions about culture shock.

B．A change in understanding culture shock.

C．Stress of the importance of culture shock.

D．A criticism of previous idea of culture shock.

4. Why is Mark Twain mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．To remember him.	B．To inform and anticipate.
C．To conclude and encourage.	D．To make the ending humorous.

6 . There are over 15 million restaurants in the world. According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, when combined (合并), food that is produced by these restaurants is more or less enough for the customers. About 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted.     1    

It’s really a pity that billions’ worth of food is wasted.     2     For it’s rather difficult to recycle or reduce waste if big companies aren’t going to stop sending out gas into the atmosphere (大气), or cutting down entire forests to provide the world with food to satisfy its hunger for cattle and coffee.

    3     CNN World reports that restaurants in California right now are trying out a new way to fight food waste in the form of the surcharge (附加费) that aims to help farmers. The initiative (倡议) is still optional for restaurants.

According to Anthony Myint, the organizer of the initiative, he hopes that restaurants do take the lead, and that they try to do what they can to ease environmental concerns.     4     It shows their dishes are eco-friendly and nutritious (有营养的).

Myint hopes at least 200 restaurants sign on for their statewide programme by the end of this year so that the farmers could receive funding that could reach $10 million per year.     5     This partnership is an opportunity for eaters and buyers to share in land-based solutions.

A．The food is very cheap.

B．It will be used to promote healthier soil.

C．We can really save a lot of money in fact.

D．Despite all this, restaurants are trying to change that.

E．These billions’ worth of wasted food is also expensive.

F．However, it would be too difficult to just keep everything.

G．He also shares how he wants to eventually see Restore California signs on restaurants.

7 . Everyone is making the best efforts and sometimes a few kind words of encouragement can aid people realizing that their effort is not useless. It happened when I was in the fifth standard in my school, back when I was a very shy girl.

It happened on the day when there was a drawing competition at my school. The theme is given to us all was the fight of “Kargil”. So we all started brainstorming to get some creative ideas. Everyone started drawing something on their canvas (画布) and I was still busy trying to think of something which can bring out my thought and emotions. While doing this I was kind of lost in another world. When my science teacher called my name, it brought me back to my senses. I responded to her voice which was coming from the back. She came to me and encouraged me by saying that “do not think too much over it, just put whatever comes in your mind on canvas. And do your best, you will do well”. I listened to her words of wisdom and started my painting.

The next day, the names of the winners of the competition were announced in front of the whole school. I heard my name as the 1st runner-up and winning the second prize. It was an astonishment for me as I never even dreamed to even get any prize.

Later, I thanked my science teacher for her words of encouragement and showing her confidence in me. Overall, that day, I became aware of my talent and I tried making more paintings whenever I got free time. Sometimes I think that if not for her words of encouragement I would have never acknowledged the talent I had.

1. What was the author doing before being called by her teacher?

A．Painting her work on her canvas.	B．Trying to get some creative ideas.
C．Waiting for help from others.	D．Playing in another classroom.

2. What does the underlined word “astonishment” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Surprise.

B．Confusion.

C．Awkwardness.

D．Anger.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The science teacher is popular with all students.

B．The science teacher enjoys the author’s paintings.

C．The author has been thinking she has a talent.

D．The author is grateful to her science teacher.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．How Encouragement Excited Hidden Talent	B．How We Should Encourage Others
C．Why Encouragement Is Good	D．What I Learnt from My Science Teacher

8 . You may be feeling a mix of emotions — nervousness, depression and maybe even a little bit of fear about your coming exam.     1     But remember that you are not alone in these feelings. Your family, friends and teachers are all here to support you every step of the way. Here are a few strategies to help you with the big feelings.

It’s normal to have those big feelings ahead of a big event. When they start to bubble up inside you, remember to take a deep breath. Think about the times when you’ve overcome challenges before and how proud you felt afterwards. You are capable of so much more than you realize.     2    

If you’re stressed about an exam, try talking to someone who tend to be laid back, empathetic, and supportive, whether it’s a parent, teacher, or friend. Open up about how you’re feeling and ask them for support.     3     It can make them feel a little less overwhelming.

You must find a balance between your schoolwork and your life. Try doing something you enjoy, like listening or dancing to music, drawing, going for a walk, or hitting or kicking a ball outside. Take breaks and do things that make you happy.     4     You could also try practising some relaxation techniques, like deep breathing or mindfulness meditation (冥想). Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a calm and peaceful place, where all your worries melt away.

    5     It’s okay to feel nervous or worried, but try not to be too hard on yourself. You are doing the best you can and that’s all anyone can ask for.

A．Get those emotions out in the open.

B．You are amazing just the way you are.

C．Those can help keep those big feelings in check.

D．Remind yourself of all the things that make you special.

E．The exam is just one small part of your learning journey.

F．It’s normal to feel this way when faced with something challenging.

G．Most importantly, remember to be kind to yourself during this time.

9 . Four Genius New Inventions

A brain implant

Advances in technology are bringing hope to those with spinal (脊骨的) injuries. One man can probably walk again simply by thinking about it, thanks to a digital brain-spine device, which boosts nerve signals damaged by the injury. Electronic implants in his brain allow him to transmit his silent intentions to a receptor implanted in his spine. The implant then enlarges and sends signals to his legs and feet through his nerve cells.

Extract from mushrooms

David Brown and Natasha Jean, two chemists, were aware of how bad for our bodies the chemicals to prevent foods in supermarkets from going bad can be. With a goal of developing a chemical-free alternative, they bought mushroom stems from farmers who would otherwise throw them out and released mushroom-fibre extract that helps ensure food safety, helping reduce food waste emissions.

Paint that cools

Xiulin Ruan, a professor, has come up with a special formula that boosts the reflective power of white paint, reducing the temperature of the roof’s surface by up to 13℃ at midday. Ruan’s paint could reduce air conditioning needs by up to 40 per cent. While typical white paint will help keep things cool by reflecting 80 to 90 per cent of sunlight, this formulation reflects 98 per cent.

A trash-catcher for oceans

There are as many as 171 trillion pieces of plastic floating around in our oceans. What can be done to stop this flow of trash, most of which comes from rivers polluted by communities? German industrial designer Mauritz Schulz has designed a kind of floating barrier, which stretches the width of a river and acts as a net, blocking throw-away bottles and bags before they can drift out to sea.

1. Who will benefit from the brain implant according to the text?

A．People with brain nerve injuries.

B．People with nerve damage to the spine.

C．People whose feet can’t pick up nerve signals.

D．People whose legs can’t transmit nerve signals.

2. What is the function of the extract from mushrooms?

A．Improving the taste of food.	B．Increasing mushroom production.
C．Extending shelf life of food.	D．Reducing chemicals in mushrooms.

3. What do the last three inventions have in common?

A．They contribute to food safety.

B．They prevent environmental pollution.

C．They help fight against climate change.

D．They protect people’s living environment.

10 . There are plenty of opportunities to study and work abroad. But some early-career scientists might face challenges adapting to different communication styles and different workplaces. However, supervisors(主管) and junior researchers can reduce the risk of misunderstandings by actively learning about each other’s cultures and expressing workplace expectations clearly.

It is important to be sensitive (灵敏的) to cultural differences and to avoid misunderstandings. Nanda Dimitrov, director of Western University’s Teaching Support Centre in London, says that she personally experienced directness more often in the United Kingdom than in the United States. She points out that the relationship between junior researcher and supervisor is influenced by many factors including personality, former experiences and the department’s culture.

Keshun Zhang faced this issue after moving from China to the University of Konstanz in Germany to get his PhD in psychology. He was used to following teachers’ suggestions. But the culture in Germany always encourages you to argue, to fight for yourself. With his supervisor’s encouragement, he started pushing back. After his first year, his supervisor said, “Wow, finally you have learnt to say no.” Zhang also realized that he was expected to work independently(独立地). His supervisor urged him to try to solve problems on his own and to ask for guidance only if he became stuck.

“People sometimes brush off a student from another country as ‘rude’, but in their culture, they’re not,” says Amratia, who was a Kenya student at the University of Florida in Gainesville. “Researchers should also remember that their nation’s customs aren’t necessarily best. When you come from a different country, you don’t assume everybody should be doing things your way. I never cared if somebody was different from me as long as it didn’t seriously affect the rest of the lab,” Amratia said.

1. How do people going abroad avoid misunderstanding according to Paragraph 1?

A．By facing challenges bravely.

B．By introducing their own ideas.

C．By creating more communication chances.

D．By learning different cultures and expressing job expectations.

2. What does Nanda’s experience tell us?

A．Don’t be too sensitive to different cultures.	B．People should experience different cultures.
C．British are more direct than Americans do.	D．The relation among junior researchers is simple.

3. Which of the following is the German preference?

A．Trying to support one’s own opinions.	B．Accepting advice of elders.
C．Pushing back supervisor’s encouragement.	D．Turning to others for help often.

4. What does Amratia suggest doing?

A．Working independently and hard.	B．Respecting others’ different cultures.
C．Encouraging yourself to fight for yourself.	D．Talking with people with the same culture.